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MONOMOY AND ITS SHOALS. 



Fkom Annual Kepoet of Massachusetts Boakd 

OF Harbor and Land Commissioners 

FOR THE Year 1886. 



\\zv-^i r -i,- 



BOSTON : 

WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS, 

18 Post Office Square. 

1887. 



AUG 30 mi 



MONOMOY AND ITS SHOALS. 



By the courtesy of Mr. F. M. Thorn, Superintendent of 
the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Board i8 
enal)led to present a very able and interesting report, re- 
cently made to that department by Prof. Henry Mitchell, 
concerning Monomoy audits Shoals, — a copy of which has, 
upon request, been furnished for publication in this report. 

Monomoy, it need hardly be said, is the long, narrow 
peninsula which projects southward from the shore of the 
town of Chatham, at the elbow of Cape Cod, and points 
towards Nantucket Great Point, which, in turn, stretches 
northward as if to meet it. Between these two points is 
the easterly entrance to Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds, 
through which, as Professor Mitchell says, "about 30,000 
vessels pass annually, and occasionally 300 in a single day." 
In this great highway of commerce, around Monomoy Point 
and between it and Great Point, lie the Shoals of which the 
report treats. 

The purpose of the report is to show the changes — the 
shifting of position and growth in volume — of Monomoy 
and its Shoals during the last century. The discussion of 
the data available for a comparison of their former with their 
present location and l)ulk, and the methods of investigation 
and deduction by which the results slated are arrived at, are 
fully given in the report, and are marked by the scientific 
knowledge, skill and acumen for which the writer of the 
report is distinguished. 

The results are surprising, and seem to furnish just occa- 
sion for alarm. " The present aspect of the case," says 
Professor Mitchell, " is very threatening to navigation." It 



4 Monomoy and its Shoals. 

is not proposed, however, to anticipate the more full and 
Batisfactory statements of the report itself. 

A map accompanying the report of Professor Mitchell is 
appended to this report, and presents to the eye by distinctive 
colors the comparative position and dimensions of Monomoy 
and its Shoals as shown by a chart based upon a survey made 
by Capt. Paul Pinkham in 1784, the accuracy of which is 
vindicated by Professor Mitchell, and as shown by the United 
States Coast Survey chart issued in 1885. 

Another map, also received with the report in question 
and appended to this report, shows in like manner the 
increase of '^Handkerchief Shoal" between the years 1853 
and 1874-75, by means of a comparison of the coast surveys 
made at those dates respectively. 



Monomoy and its Shoals. 



MO NO MO Y AND ITS SHOALS. 

BY PROF. HENRY MITCHELL. 

This peninsula, and the group of Shoals about it, present dangers 
that afTect the commerce between the States to a greater degree, 
l)erliaps, than any other obstructions ; for here, at the eastern 
entrance to Nantucket and Vine\"ard Sounds, pass about 30,000 
vessels annually, and, occasionally, 300 in a single day, the raaxi- 
mum of the j-ear. These 300 vessels average 200 tons nieasure- 
raent, giving a total of 60,000 tons, and represent, with cargo, 
three millions of dollars. 

These vessels not onl}' run the gantlet among these natural 
dangers, but they endanger each other by crowding into the fair- 
ways. The principal avenue, Butler's Hole, has only half the 
width that it had a centur}' ago, and its course has of late 3'ears 
very materially changed. 

Enery foot of loklth, where safety is assured, has a value; and, 
if the limits of the Shoals could be accurately defined, there would 
be a great reduction in the real danger, and — most of all — in 
the fear of danger, which delays the fleet in thick weather. In 
the measure that we can furnish the coaster with accurate charts 
and marks of this localit}', we reduce his danger and his fears 
which tax the community. 

The real source of trouble is the constant shifting of these Shoals, 
and their growth. We speak within the truth when we assert that 
these Shoals have doubled their volume in the last centurj', and 
that they have moved a mile in the average. The worst of it is 
that the movement is ver}" far from uniform in rate or directions 
for ditferent members of the group. 

Tills neighborhood was designated by Champlain (1605) " Cap 
Batturier" conve3'ing the impression by this name (and the context 
in his narrative) of a projecting region of breaking flats. At the 
present rate of building, the dry land of Monomoy could scarcely 



6 Monomoy and its Shoals. 

have been half the present length at the time of Champlain ; and, if 
half the bulk, it must have been submerged. 

The present aspect of the ease is ver\' threatening to navigation. 
It looks as if a continuous breaker might extend from Monorao}' to 
Nantucket on the summit of the circus that is formed by r\)llock 
Kip, Great Uound Shoal and Great Point Rip, with their connections. 
The present broken wall has material enough in it to close the ship 
navigation, if this material should be strewn along more uniformly 
by some great storm, so as to connect more intimatel}' the chain of 
shoals. Moreover, there is plenty of new material supplied from 
the caving down of the Cape Cod shore. This caving has been ver}' 
active of late years, and forms the theme of reports in Appendices 
to the Annual Reports of the Coast Survey fur 1871 and 1873. 
The beach in front of the town of Chatham began to break up in 
1871 ; and Professor Peirce, then Superintendent, ordered special 
surveys, which were executed b}' Assistant H. L. Marindin, and 
formed the subject of reports by myself. 

The earliest chart of this neighborhood, based upon anything 
like a regular survey, seems to be that of Capt. Paul Pinkham, 
made at the time that the present Light-house was being built upon 
Great Point Nantucket, in 1784. There are plenty of earlier 
charts, and there are sailing directions as far back as 1707 ; but the 
Paul Pinkham chart, on the whole, furnishes the first reliable testi- 
mony relative to the location of the Shoals at the entrance to the 
Vineyard Sound. I beg leave to offer an analysis of this testimony 
in detail, because of its importance, and because I fear that the chart 
of which 1 speak is likely, otherwise, to be confounded with a later 
one by the Blunts, assuming to be " Surveyed by Capt. Paul Pink- 
ham," which is siugularl}' out in its longitudes and in its distances. 

Tbe following appears upon the chart which I have used as m}' 
base of comparison : — 

A Chart of Nantucket Shoals surveyed by Capt. Paul Pinkham. 

Boston. Published and sold by \Vm. Norman, No. 75 Newbury St., February 16, 1791. 
To all whom it may concern : 

As there never has yet been published an accurate chart of Nantucket 
Shoals, 

These arc to certify that, when the Light-house was building on Nan- 
tucket point in 1784, this survey of the Shoals was made from the lantern 
(an oi)portunity never before had for so valuable a purpose) by Capt. 
Paul rinkliam and others, by the help of the best compasses and instru- 
ments that could be procured; and it has been proved by experience to 
be the most accunite chart ever olfered to the public of those dangerous 
Shoals (which are a terror to all navigators), which has been run by 



Monomoy and its Shoals. 7 

with greatest safety, and is fully approved ; and that the publication of 
this chart, from its accuracy, cannot fail to be greatly beneficial to all 
navigators who may fall in with said Shoals, is the jud^'ment of us, 
[signed by] Jno. Cartwright, Jos'ii. Chase, Dan'l Collin, Nath'l 
Barnard, Jas. Backer, Wm. Coffin, Alex. Coffin, Jun., Thos. Delano. 
Nantucket, September 1, 1790. 

The many snrveyors who have attempted the survey of the Island of 
Nantucket, with the Shoals around it, and those charts have been jjub- 
lished, have from experience proved very incorrect and erroneous; more 
2)articularly the Shoals which, lying at so great a distance from the land, 
have hitherto been laid down from information only. From htaice has 
arisen great errors and inaccuracies in the various charts published of 
those Shoals. 

On considering their dangerous situation, and the dread they are to all 
navigators who frequent the coast, as well as the great utility of a cor- 
rect cliart, I have been induced to use my best endeavors to obtain a 
new and accurate survey of the Shoals eastwardl}' of the Island, being 
taken from the Light-house on Nantucket Point in 1784, which eminence 
afforded a large and distant prospect of the Shoals, and from which their 
true bearing was had with precision and certainty. I hereby certify 
that the chait hereunto annexed, having been carefully examined by 
warrantable jiilots and navigators, and run by for some years with 
safety, is fully approved and by them certified. [Signed by] Peleg 
Coffin, Jr. 

Nantucket, September 1, 1790. 

The scale of this chart is about 1 : 137,780. It is the property 
of the Nantucket Athenaeum. 

It will be observed from the foregoing, that the claim of accu- 
racy particularly applies to the region seen from the Light-house, 
which is plotted on this old chart in latitude 41° 22', longitude 
70° OOi'. It is the same Light-house that now stands, and is found, 
by latest survey, in 41° 23' 24" of latitude, and 70° 02' 45" of 
longitude. The former determination, on the Paul Pinkham chart, 
was, then, 2^ miles too far to the east-south-east. This error, 
however, need not concern us if we confine our inquiries to objects 
within sight of the Light-house ; and, first of all, we must seek 
those that have not changed, in order to orient ourselves. 

From Matthew Clark's chart of the neighborhood, endorsed b}' 
Osgood Carleton for the Boston Marine Society, the variation in 
the compass, at that time, seems to have been 6° 45' ; and, as the 
Paul Pinkham chart is evidently adjusted to the magnetic merid- 
ian, we have corrected for variation (as finally ascertained to be 
about 6J^° west) in the following bearings : — 

"Bishop and Clarks" Rocks, on Paul Pinkbam's chart, lie 15^ 



8 Monomoy and its Shoals. 

nautical miles north 39^° west (true) from Great Point. Bishop 
and Clerks, on the most recent chart, lies 14| nautical miles north 
39|° west of Great Point Light. 

The distances are measured from the old chart, not b}- its scale, 
but by minutes of latitude. I would remark here that the Paul 
Pinkham chart is a prett}' good projection, with ratio of 1 : 1.3 for 
longitude and latitude divisions ; but the scale of miles seems to 
be minutes of longitude. 

There is, upon the north-eastern portion of Tuckernuck, a sort of 
lagoon, at the head of which is quite a hill, upon which there was, 
at tlie time of Paul Pinkham, and still is, a group of houses. This 
hill, as represented upon the Coast Surve}' charts, lies west 30° 
south from Great Point Light, distant lOf nautical miles. Upon 
Paul Pinkham's chart, the head of the lagoon bears west 29J-° south, 
distant 11 nautical miles. The lagoon is known as East Pond, 
and the hill that rises at its head is a very conspicuous landmark. 

These three points, Bishop and Clerks, Tuckernuck and Great 
Point Light, are all that we can feel sure of as remaining un- 
changed. 

Great Round Shoal. — If we draw a circle through the three 
shoalest soundings upon the Coast Survey chart, we find its centre 
north 55° east from the Great Point Light-house, distant 7| miles. 
On the Paul Pinkham chart, it is represented by a circular line of 
dots, the centre of which is north G0|-° east of Great Point Light, 
71- miles distant. 

Litt'e Bound Shoal. — The shoalest water lies north 39J-° east 
of Great Point Light, upon our most recent charts, distant 8 miles. 
Upon Paul Pinkham's chart, it is indicated b}' a circle of dots, the 
centre of which is north 40f° east from the Light, distant 7 miles. 
This shoal is not easily distinguished from the Stone Horse. 

'■'■Broken part of Pollock Pip" lies north 37^-° east, 11 i miles 
from the Light, on the Coast Survey chart, and north 35|-° east, 
14^ miles, on Paul Pinkham's chart. This is rather beyond the 
range of vision from the Light-house, except for a wreck, and 
hard to distinguish, the shoals being numerous. 

Stone Horse. — The middle of this shoal, as well as can be de- 
termined, lies about in the same direction upon old and new charts, 
— north 22|-° east from Great Point Light. Its distance, according 
to Paul Pinkham's chart, was 8i nautical miles. It is now 7| miles ; 
that is, tlie shoal has moved about three-quarters of a mile towards 
the Light. 

Handkerchief Shoal. — This shoal has very much increased in 
size, and worked or extended downward. The least de[)th is the 
same (" 4 feet") now as upon Clark's map of 1798 ; but this figure 



Monomoy and its Shoals. 9 

lies about one mile further from Great Point Light on Clark's 
chart than upon our own. The southern point of the shoal is 
given 8f miles north 2° west from Great Point Light, by Pink- 
ham, while by Clark it is 7^ miles due north, and upon the recent 
Coast Survey chart 6 J miles north 7J° west. The northern or 
north-eastern portion of the shoal has not essentially changed, 
being the same for Pinkham, Clark and the Coast Survc}' ; but the 
growth southward has exceeded one mile in the past century. 

Upon both of the old charts (Pinkham's and Clark's), the sailing 
course for the ' ' North Channel " was laid down north of the Hand- 
kerchief, and ran across what is now dr}' land near the present 
Monomoy Light. 

Clark's representation of Monomoy indicates a great extent sub- 
ject to overiow, so that it is difficult to make comparisons between 
it and other plottings. 

Butler's Hole. — This most frequented channel was about 1^^ 
miles wide upon Pinkham's chart, one mile on Clark's, and little 
better than a half-mile at the time of the most recent surveys. As 
might have been expected, Butler's Hole has increased in depth as 
it has lost in width. We find nearly 20 fathoms on the site where 
the old charts gave 15 as the maximum depth. The present max- 
imum depth is 23i fathoms. 

Before entering upon the more modern history of this region, we 
must call attention to what we ma}' designate as the deep hole, 
indicated b}' the sounding of 24 fathoms upon Paul Pinkham's 
chart. This sounding is plotted 7^- nautical miles north 71;^'' east 
of Great Point Light. Capt. McBlair, in 1849, found 21^ fathoms 
at a distance of G miles north 79f° east, and Capt. Brownson, at Ihe 
margin of his survey of 1883, gives 20 fathoms and no bottom 7 
miles north 77^° east, of Great Point Light. 

There seems to be no doubt that a gully of considerable extent 
exists, which our printed chart does not proi)crly represent ; and it 
is believed that this gully is a permanent feature, notwithstanding 
that our benrings differ from Paul Pinkham's very largely'. It 
must be borne in mind that the bearings of breaking shoals could be 
accurately taken from Great Point Light tower; but a deej) hole 
makes no sign. 

Tliis gully lies so near the proper track of the South Channel 
fleet, that its careful representation upon the chart would be a 
valuable guide to navigation ; while its absence from the chart, or 
entirely inadequate rendering, provides for disaster. Some vessel 
standing in from seaward in thick weather, may happen to cast her 
lead in this deep place, and, believing herself outside of all the 
shoals, sail on to her destruction. 



10 Monomoy and its Shoals. 

There is reason to belieA'e that Great Round Shoal and this 
gully are to be found now just where the}' always have been. The 
sailing line on Paul Pinkham's chart of 1784, if plotted upon our 
own chart, lies very near the southern slope of this gull}', and 
between it and our most recent sailing line. But wh}' this gully 
should not fill up, in this region of strong tidal currents laden with 
sand, is a mystery. It might be worth while to take some current 
observations, and ascertain if a resultant occurs here, not elsewhere 
developed. 

Monomoy Point. — This is well defined on Desbarres' chart of 
1777, and on Pinkham's of 1791 ; but, on Matthew Clark's chart 
of 1798, it is represented as if aioasJi. The distances across from 
Great Point to Monomo}' are 

1777, On Desbarres' Chart, . . 14 nautical miles. 

1784-91, " Paul Pinkham's " . . 11^ 

1798, " Matthew Clarli's " . . lOJ 

1868, " U. S. Coast Survey " . . 9J 

Matthew Clark's chart only assumes to be a correction of 
Desbarres', while Paul Pinkham's was from a new survey. 

There seems always to have been a shoal off the extreme point 
of Monomoy, known as " Egg Island " when dr3\ This shoal has 
sometimes attached itself to the end of Monomoy, but oftener has 
been separated by a deep slongh channel. If we ignore the slough 
channel that now separates the point of Monomoy from the 
Shovelful Shoal (the reappearing Egg Island in an advanced 
position), we reduce the distance across from Great Point to less 
than 9 nautical miles (1875). 

It should be noted here that Great Point Nantucket has lost, by 
fits and starts, considerable length. Paul Pinkham found the 
extreme point, in 1784, over 3,000 feet be3-ond the present Light- 
house, then in course of construction ; Prof. Henry L. Whiting's 
topographical survey of 1846, gives this distance 1.900 feet; and 
Assistant F. D. Granger, on his h3'drographic sheet of 1874, places 
the point (by a signal as near as possible to the high water breaker) 
about 1,600 feet from the Light- house. We have every reason, then, 
to believe that the dry land of Monomoy has extended southward 
tico miles during the past century.* 

* There is a mysterious chart in the archives of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, 
entitled " A Chart of George's Bank, including Cape Cod, Nantucket, and the Shoals 
lying on their coasts, surveyed by Capt. Paul Pinkham," and " published by Edmund 
Jil. lihint, 1797." This chart, ostensibly six years later than the "Chart of Nan- 
tucket Shoals " (which we found so valuable), is comparatively absurd. It is a 
vhoie degree out in longitude, and it gives for the distance from Great Point to 
Monomoy, sixteen minutes of latitude; and yet the bearing and distance of George's 
Shoal were more nearly correct than upon any previous chart. Its scale is about 
1 : 400,000. 



Monomoy and Us Shoals. 11 

The first survey of Monomo}- made by a professional topograplier, 
was that of Mr. Charles O. Boutelle, then attached to the Trigono- 
metrical Survey of Massachusetts, in 1840. At that time the 
Point lay 2,681 feet south, 3,837 feet west, of the Light-house 
then standing.* 

In l<So3, Assistant S. A. Gilbert of the Coast Surve}', made a 
plane-table survey, and found the extreme point of Monomoy 2,821 
feet south, 3,542 feet west, of the old Light-house referred to by 
Mr. Boutelle. The first twelve to thirteen years of authentic his- 
tory only advanced this point about 140 feet. 

The next survey was by Assistant C. T. lardella of the Coast 
Survey, in 1856, when the extreme point was found to be 3,180 
feet south, 3,906 feet west, of the " old Light-house," — showing 
an advance of 509 feet south-west in three years, or at the rate of 
170 foet per annum. 

Again, the point was located b}' the survey of Assistant P. C. F. 
West of the Coast Survc}', in 1868, 4,851 feet south, 5,266 feet 
west, of the same "old Light-house," — showing an advance south- 
westerly of about 2,123 feet in twelve years, or about 175 feet 
per annum. 

Finally, we have the plane-table sheet of Assistant C. H. Boyd of 
the Coast Surve}', executed with the intent to complete the history 
to the present time, June, 1886 ; and we find the point 5,266 feet 
south, 5,151 feet west, of the site of the old Light-house, — show- 
ing a recent advance of about 22.]- feet i)er annum, nearly south. 
The growth of the point is again slowing down ; and Mr. Pj03Trs 
map shows that deposit has been arrested elsewhere en route from 
the north. It would seem that the material torn from the Chatham 
shore travels down the beach, or near to it, and adds itself to the 
point of Monomo}' in unequal masses, at unequal intervals of time. 

As far as we are advised, the sands move from tlie north, under 
the action of the ground sivell which sets on from the north-east. 
It is the same at this entrance to Vineyard Sound, as at the en- 
trances of Delaware and Chesapeake Bays ; the shoals protrude 
and aduance from the north side. Of course, at all such entrances, 
the flood tidal currents sweep in along the outside shores, and bear 
with them a great load of silt supplied by the breakers, so that the 

* See Capt. Boutclle's Report, addressed to Superintendent U. S. Coast and 
Geodetic Survey, June 16, 1886, appended. 

Capt. Bdutelle's testimony against the map made by John G. Hale, in 1831, rules 
it out of court; but I may be allowed to state that, upon that map, the Point is rep- 
resented as about 1,6.50 feet south of the Light, and the Poivder IJolc Harbor is ab- 
sent. There is no doubt, in my own mind, that the testimony of the old people on 
Cape Cod is correct in ascribing the first creation of the Powder Hole to the lirst 
half of this century. NVe have witnessed its destruction. 



12 Monomoy and its Shoals. 

resvUavts arc towards the bay near the coast ; but this movoment 
is usually just as conspicuous on one side as on the other of the 
entrance. 

Mr. Boyd found the Shovelful Shoal showing a dry spot for two 
hours at low tide. This has been dry before, but our hydrographic 
sheets haA-e usually given one fviot at mean low tide. The summit 
of tliis shoal is now about 2,300 feet further to the south-west than 
it was in 1853, but the point of Monomo}- has gained upon it 877 
feet. Of course, if this gain continues, a sudden annexation may 
be expected. It seems probable that this shoal advances more 
slowly than Monomoy Point, because in deeper water. The cen- 
tral point of the dry Shovelful is row 9,617 feet south 36° 41' 
west (true) from the old Light-house site.* 

The discrepancies of the measures of Monomo}' from land 
surveys, cannot be attributed to any want of definition, or to dif- 
ferences in the height of the tide. On sandy shores exposed to 
ocean waves, the strand (that is, the belt left bare when the tide is 
out) is very narrow, and of nearl}' uniform width for tides of equal 
range. This is often true irrespective of the ocean depths in the 
neighborhood. It is quite otherwise as regards inside beaches, — 
those along the margins of sheltered basins or harbors, — where 
the strand is often broad, and alwaj^s irregular, because only the 
continuaticn of the bed-slopes. 

Tlie point of Monomoy has always been bold, or ^'- steep to," as 
the sailors say. 

Let us turn now from these measures of dry land to the hidden 
dangers that lie beneath the sea. These are dunes, that creep upon 
the track of our commerce, and grow upon the channels, to be- 
come more and more sources of distress every year ; and the most 
remarkable of these — although not the most dangerous — is 

The ITandkerchief Shoal. 

From a glance at our most recent survey-, one would say that 
this shoal is shaped like a pear with stem downward. It is, in a 
very general sense, a sector-like figure with radius of 3|- nautical 
miles and oG° flare. Closer examination, however, discovers that 
it is not symmetrical, but consists of three lobes, representing, as I 
think, three different periods of growth. The most northern lobe, 
which is the largest now, is the oldest. We find it upon Paul 
Pinkliam's chart in the form of a horseshoe opening directlj' west. 
It was then about half the size of the present northern lobe, as 

* The old Light-house was 182 feet north 46° 30' west (true) from present Light- 
house. 



Monomoy and Us Shoals. 13 

liraiterl by the 12 feet curve, or loss than a third of the whole 
shoal as now similarl}- limited. 

The area of this shoal, as defined b}- the 18 feet curve, increased 
from 9,888,870 square feet in 1853, to 12,636,672 in 1875; and 
the southern point advanced into the sound 3,400 feet, or over one- 
half of a nautical mile (34 seconds of latitude). The bulk of this 
shoal, in 1853, was 12,543,759 cubic j'ards ; in 1875, it had 
increased to 19,175,835 cubic yards ; and, in this interval, its centre 
of gravit}^ had moved 3,956 feet south 2° 55' east (true).* 

It has been possible to give the above concise statement relative 
to the Handkerchief Shoal, because, as an isolated obstruction in 
the track of one of the largest fleets in the world, it has been re- 
peatedi}^ examined and surveyed. 

I am not aware that this little chapter in the physical history of 
tliese Shoals has ever before been attempted ; but I feel great con- 
fidence, having been assisted by Mr. H. F. Bothfeld, one of the 
best experts met with in ni}' long professional experience. 

I hope to perfect m}' diagnosis of this case by other papers to 
follow. 

Very respectfully 3-ours, 

Henry Mitchell, 

Coast and QtO'letic Survey. 

Report of Ccipt. Charles 0. Boutelle concerning the earliest Topo- 
' graphical Survey of Monomoy. 

U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, 

Washington, D. C, June 16, 1886. 

F. M. Thorn, Superintendent U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Washington, D. C. 

Sir : — I return herewith the papers submitted by Assistant Mitch- 
ell, on the subject of Monomoy Island, south of Chatham, Mass. 

I recognize the smaller tracing, sent by Mr. H. F. Walling, as 
copied from a large manuscript map which I assisted in making. 
I also recognize it as a correct copy of a plane-table survey made 
by me of the island of INIonomoy, in November, 1840. I checked 
the survey by several triangulation points upon the island, deter- 
mined bj' me for temporary use, by " three-point" method. 

At the time of mj' survey, the " Powder Hole " harbor, near the 
Light-house, was a place of resort for fishermen, and a harbor of 
refuge for small vessels. 

By spacing upon the tracing, I find that the southernmost point 
of Monomoy Island, in November, 1840, was 2,475 feet or 24. "4 

• See Sketch by Mr. H. F. Bothfeld, herewith enclosed [and appended to this 
Report] . 



14 Monomoy and its Shoals. 

south, and 3,83G feet or oO."') u-est, of Monomoy Light. The Coast 
Survey position of the same light is given in Coast Survey Report 
for 1851, page 189, as latitude 4^ 33' 32. "79, longitude 69° 59 
18. "98. 

The " faint indication of a tiiangulation point" upon Mr. Wall- 
ing's tracing, is undoubtedly that of the Light-house. He gives the 
squares enclosing it. These count from the zero point of the sec- 
tion, and are four inches upon a side, or. upon the scale of 200 rods 
to an inch (1 : 39,600), each side is 800 rods or 13.200 feet long. 

In tlie printed tables of the Massachusetts Trigonometrical 
Survey, Section V, page 71, Monomoy Light-house is given as 
202,380yV(j feet south, and 191,37ojVo feet east, of the zero point 
of the section. The ytorth side of the square enclosing the Liglit 
is, therefore, the 15th south of zero, or 13,200 x 15 = 198,000 
feet south ; and the eadakhi is also the 15Lh, or 198,000 feet east 
of zero. 

The position of the Light-house in the square is, therefore, 
4,380^jjQ feet south of its north side, and 6,624^^^ feet west of its 
east side. These quantities, spaced upon the tracing, agree so 
closely with the triangulation point marked by Mr. Walling, as to 
assure its identity wnth the Light-house of 1840. 

The necessity for my survey of Monomoy Island, arose from the 
grossly inaccurate character of the map of Chatham made b}- Mr. 
John G. Hale for the town authorities in 1831. This pers<;n was 
employed by contract with many towns in eastern Massachusetts 
to make mai)s wliich could be returned to tlie Secretary' of State, 
under the act requiring each town to make and return a map of its 
tenitor}- upon an uniform scale of 100 rods to an inch. Mr. Hale's 
maps were all ver}' neatly drawn, and were all ver}' inaccurate. 
Man\' were only sketches without a survey. So far as I can recol- 
lect at tills distance of time, I was informed that Mr. Hale never 
visited Monomo}' Island, but copied some older map or chart. At 
any rate, the case was so flagrant an evasion of the law, that the 
" Selectmen " of Chatham furnished me, at their expense, with men 
and transportation required to make the survey. 

The large tracing sent b}' Mr. Walling, represents Mr. Hale's 
map now on record in the State House at Boston. 

Yours respectfull}', 

C. O. BOUTELLE, 

Assistant C. & O. Survey. 



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